Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!public!valentin
From: valentin@public.BTR.COM (Valentin Pepelea)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.programmer
Subject: Re:  Information on Amiga Technical Reference Seri
Message-ID: <3137@public.BTR.COM>
Date: 20 Jun 91 09:42:49 GMT
References: <3118@public.BTR.COM> <22582@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Organization: BTR Communications, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 51

In article <22582@cbmvax.commodore.com> andy@cbmvax.commodore.com (Andy
Finkel) writes:
>
>>Since I am the one wrote the parallel device, would you mind telling me
>>what side effect you are claiming is being depended on? I cannot write a
>>valid reply without that information.
>>
>>In your opinion, was this side effect taken advantage of because I had access
>>to the source code, or because the documentation was unclear?
>
>Since the cia resource dependencies involved are *intentionally*
>not documented, the conclusion I reach is that use of the source
>was involved.  Since the parallel.device is part of the OS this
>use would have been justifiable if intentional.  But I believe
>the dependency was unintentional, judging from the lack of version
>checks or comments.

I have asked you already once to tell me what side effect your are claiming
is being depended on.

If you refuse to divulge it, I have to conclude that this is false, and that
you have decided to make a personal attack. You did not like to see me
disagreeing with you, and therefore you thought that a stab at my reputation
would do the trick.

I have attempted to remain as objective as I can in this debate. I do not
have the intention of hurting Commodore's reputation in any way. It is in my
personal best interest after all, to be known as someone who was part of a
great development team, rather than a party to history's buggiest operating
system.

Again, I demand that you tell us what the alleged side effect is.

>>Incidentally, there are only two modes in the parallel device.
>
>Interesting.  I see PARF_SLOWMODE, PARF_ACKMODE, and PARF_FASTMODE defined
>in the public include files, and in the source, but you are right, it turns
>out that the PARF_SLOWMODE code is just duplicated code of the PARF_ACKMODE
>case.

The PARF_ACKMODE was brain damaged. It was removed in winter 1990. The
definition and check remained there for possible backward compatibility.
The ACK mode was the subject was the most vigorous debate we had over the
parallel device, and therfore am suprised you have forgotten about it.

Valentin
-- 
"An operating system without virtual memory      Name:      Valentin Pepelea
 is an operating system without virtue."         Phone:     (408) 985-1700
                                                 Usenet:    mips!btr!valentin
                     - Ancient Inca Proverb      Internet:  valentin@btr.com